I Don't Wanna Be
by OneVictoriousWolf
Summary: "I DON'T NEED TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A PRISON GUARD'S SON. I DON'T NEED TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A SPECIALIST'S SON. I DON'T HAVE TO BE ANYONE OTHER THAN THE BIRTH OF TWO SOULS IN ONE." Half-brothers battle each other on the basketball court and in the hearts of their friends. Dasey, Ledwin, Bori, Javan (Jade/Evan from TBS), Cabbie. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**I DON'T WANNA BE ANYTHING OTHER**

**SUMMARY: "I DON'T NEED TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A PRISON GUARD'S SON. I DON'T NEED TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A SPECIALIST'S SON. I DON'T HAVE TO BE ANYONE OTHER THAN THE BIRTH OF TWO SOULS IN ONE." Half-brothers battle each other on the basketball court and in the hearts of their friends. **

_Who's Who: Personalities_

**Derek Venturi as Nathan Scott - He starts out as an ass at first, but changes when he meets Casey McDonald and becomes the guy everyone wants. They get married while still in high school, they have their ups and downs, but end up having a great marriage with 2 kids. **

**Casey McDonald as Haley James - She is the best friend of Beck Oliver, who is the half-brother of Derek. She first sees Derek as a jerk because of how he tortures Beck, but soon gets to know him when Beck leaves her stranded at Derek's party. **

**Tori Vega as Peyton Sawyer - She is the best friend of Jade West, but when she makes a mistake with Beck, such as kissing him, it puts a strain in their friendship, but they remain friends even when Tori marries Beck, has his baby, and moves away with him. **

**Beck Oliver as Lucas Scott - He is the laid back brother of Derek Venturi and is a little bit whinier than Derek. He first dates Jade, but then they soon break up. They get back together, but when Jade finds out about Tori kissing Beck during the school shooting, she breaks up with him and they never get back together. They become friends even when Beck marries Tori, has a baby with her and they move away. **

**Andre Harris as Antwon "Skills" Taylor - Andre is one of Beck's best friends and one of the river court boys Beck hangs out with before Beck joins the basketball team, but the two continue to hold onto their friendship while Beck is on the team. He is the one who always says what everyone thinks. **

**Robbie Shapiro as Mouth McFadden - He grows up to become a sports announcer. He's loved in high school, the gang treat him with love, even Jade who sees him as a friend. **

**Cat Valentine as Millicent Huxtable - Cat starts out as Jade's assistant, but soon becomes a model to the "Zero is not a Size" girls, putting a strain in her relationship with Jade when she starts to steal stuff in the store and takes drugs. She later on gets help and becomes a co-anchor with Robbie on a talk show "Robbie and Cat in the Morning". Later, she gets married to Robbie and becomes pregnant. **

**Evan Smith as Julian Baker - Evan starts out as an ass who broke Tori's heart, but later on becomes Jade's whole world. **

**Jade West as Brooke Davis - High School Jade might annoy you, but it doesn't hide her ballsy, cheeky and talented attitude whilst being beautiful and open to love. Jade grows up to be an aspiring fashion designer until her mom and Cat forge her signature to cheat investors, leading her to shut down Clothes over Bros. She later marries Evan and has twin boys, Jude and Malachi (in the show, the baby's name is Davis, but I changed it for fun)**

**Lizzie McDonald as Quinn James - Lizzie is the big sister of Casey McDonald who comes for her nephew Jamie's 7****th**** birthday only to stay and become a main person in their lives. She and Edwin suffer a lot; they get shot by a psycho, but live. She then discovers that Edwin used to be married until his wife abrubtly died and that they had a son. She becomes a great step-mother and marries Edwin at the end. **

**Edwin Venturi as Clayton Evans - Edwin is a sports manager, but when he is shot by a psycho, he relies on Derek to help him because of Derek's back problems. He ends up marrying Lizzie after taking in his 4 year old son, Logan. **

**Marti Venturi as Lily Roe - Marti was supposed to have George as a father, who is a very loyal uncle to Beck and Derek, but because of Dan killing George in the shooting, Marti grows up without a father, but still has her half-cousin/half-brother Beck and Derek. **

_Things You Should Know_

1. Derek, Marti and Edwin are NOT related; while Derek's last name will continue to be Venturi, Edwin's last name will be Evans, and Marti's last name will be Roe.

2. Beck and Derek are related; Beck's last name will be "Venturi" instead of Oliver.

3. Instead of Lizzie being the youngest sister, it'll be Casey who's the youngest sister.

4. Instead of George being Derek and Beck's dad, he will be their uncle and Beck's dad's brother (the one in Victorious).

5. Some characters will appear later on (like Evan, Cat, Edwin, Lizzie, etc.) so don't freak out when a character hasn't appeared yet.

7. Derek and Casey are NOT related, so it's not incest. Same with Lizzie and Edwin.

8. I think that's it, but other than that, this is an alternate universe.

Pairings: Beck/Tori (ENDGAME), Cat/Robbie (ENDGAME), Casey/Derek (ENDGAME), Evan/Jade (ENDGAME), Beck/Jade, and others.

**CHAPTER ONE**

Driving down Abby Road, Tori Vega listens to rock music. She closes her eyes as she perishes that moment of being around no one for a while. She was coming home from a basketball game, previously won by the Ravens. Her boyfriend, Derek Venturi, was known as the best basketball player in the school. Derek had a half-brother, Beck Venturi.

When Tori opened her eyes, she almost ran over a boy in a light gray hoodie. He took off his hood and there she saw him; Beck Venturi. Tori honked the car horn and he smiled, running to the sidewalk. Across the street, Derek was driving the bus with the team. It was like a wild party in there.

"Yo, tell me we didn't just steal the school bus," A boy asked. "Cause this feels like we just stole the school bus!"

"Dude," Derek spoke. "We just borrowed it, alright."

A blonde girl walked over to him and hovered over Derek, asking, "So, Derek, where's Tori?"

He responds, "Who knows? Why?" Suddenly, she grabbed him by the chin and kissed his lips. A train blows its whistle in the distance. Derek continues to kiss the girl as he steers the bus.

"Look out!" Tim shouted. Getting Derek's attention, he pushes the girl off and swerves to the curb. Sirens wail as the train passes by. In front of them is a cop car, blinking its sirens. Derek knows they got caught.

_**-Ontario High School-**_

In a classroom at school while the sun shines through the windows, angry parents are standing beside their teenager as they listen to the principal speak.

"Some of you parents see this latest incident as a tomfoolery; a little prank. Personally, I see as a breaking and entering." The principal points to a cop behind him who is standing by Coach Whitey. "Chief Wayman sees possession and consumption by minors, and a smidgen of grand theft auto. With that said, I think it's time we send a message. The following players were not involved and will not be reprimanded; Jake Jagielski, Ruben Gutierrez, Tim Smith, and Derek Venturi. As for the rest of you, all players are suspended from extracurricular activities, specifically basketball for the rest of the season."

After the small meeting, Coach Whitey walks outside and the door opens. Out walks Dan Venturi who makes his way to Coach. He turns around to face Dan. Dan says, "So you just walk away."

"Well, well. Dan Venturi."

"Half the team was suspended, Derek triple-teamed the rest of the season, and you say nothing."

"The inmates will not run the asylum."

"You're despicable, you know that?" Whitey doesn't respond. Instead, he rolls his eyes and walks away. "You're letting the dreams of this team just vanish. You're full of crap!"

"It comes with old age, Dan; constipation!" He shouts over his shoulder.

_**-River Court-**_

Beck Venturi is at the river court, playing basketball with his friends; Andre, Robbie Shapiro, Junk Morreti, Jimmy Edwards, and Fergie Thompson. As Beck shoots a basket, Junk asks a question. "Do you guys remember Tom Dugan from grade school?"

"He used to live next door to you, right?" Beck asked as Junk caught the ball.

"Yeah, some guy snapped him with a wet towel and he lost one of his testicles." They share a laugh in disbelief, excluding Junk.

"Okay, Junk." Jimmy Edwards shouted from the bleachers.

"I'm just saying what I heard."

"Anyway," Andre started to talk to Beck, changing the subject. "What you reading these days?"

"Steinbeck, "The Winter of our Discontent." Beck answered.

"Let me hear some."

"No." Beck shook his head.

"Come on, dog. You know I be reading vicariously through you." Beck got caught off guard when a very familiar Comet car drove on the road.

"Tori Vega." Junk spoke. "Have you seen her webcam in her bedroom?"

Beck still looks at the spot where Tori was driving. Junk continues, "I hear she's naked on it, like, all the time." Junk laughs. Beck glares at him. "What? I hear things."

"You know, I saw her the other night." Beck caught the ball once it was passed to him. "She almost ran me over, of course."

"Yeah, she pretty fine, huh?" Andre asked.

"Ah, she's all right." Laughter erupts from Jimmy, Junk, Fergie, and Robbie. "Just shoot for teams alright."

_**-Karen's Café-**_

Later that day, Beck runs into his mom's café titled "Karen's Café." He opens the door and walks in with his basketball. "Hey, Mom."

"Hey, honey." He saw his mom cleaning.

"Mm, it smells good in here." He walks to the counter where his mom is cleaning the dishes and the counter. "Did you change your hair?"

"If by "change" you mean "dragged a brush through it," then yeah."

"Well, it looks nice."

"Thank you."

"The magazine pages are sticky again, little pervs." Casey spoke, holding a magazine and walking to the counter. Casey and Beck have been friends since diapers. Casey looks up to see Beck. "Oh, hi, Beck, you been reading this?"

"I don't know, Casey. Is that the "Why do I hang out with these people?" issue, because you're on the cover of that, right?"

"No, actually, it's the "My best friend's an idiot," issue. And there you are." Casey teased. Beck scoffed.

"Casey, would you like to join us?" Karen asked.

"Hell yes." Casey said, getting a drink first.

"So, honey, how was your day?" Karen asked Beck when he sat down.

"Good, thanks." Casey started, sitting down beside Karen. "'Good' is relative, considering a third of the world is starving, which does not change the fact that I'm clumsy as hell. Did I tell you that I fell down today? Yeah, slipped off the curb, face down, butt in the air."

"Casey," Karen started after they laughed.

"Was that too graphic? Sorry, I'll just be quiet." Casey said.

"So, I got something for you, Beck."

"Actually, I found it." Casey started. "I'm sorry, not that I was looking for something specifically which implies some hideous sort of "Joey Loves Dawson" scenario and completely creep out, but, you know, we saw and..." She looked at Karen as she ran out of words. "Well, give him the book."

Karen takes a book from her back and hands it to Beck. "Wow." Beck expresses. "Julius Caesar."

"There's a tide in the affairs of men" - or something like that." Karen spoke.

"Nice. Thank you guys, thank you very much."

"Whatever, that's what you're into." Casey spoke as she chewed on her food." She clears her throat. He and Karen laugh.

_**-Whitey's Office-**_

Coach Whitey sits in his office as Beck and Derek's uncle George walked up to the door of his office. He knocked on the window pane. Whitey signaled that he could come in. George smiled and opened the door.

"Well, well, George Venturi, what do you know?"

"How are you doing, Whitey?" He asks, taking a seat after closing the door.

"Take a load off."

"You, uh- you got a second?"

"Oh, I got a lot of seconds, or haven't you heard?"

"Oh, I heard." George takes out an alcohol flask. Whitey quickly shuts his blinds and grabs a cup.

"Pour in just a little." Whitey says. George pours in a little, but he keeps asking for more. "Just a little more."

"That's good."

"That's good." George takes a drink out of the flask and Whitey drinks from the cup. "I saw your little brother today - George. He called me "Despicable.", said I crushed the dreams of young men."

"Was he talking about himself or Derek, do you think?"

"Both, I suppose." Whitey takes another sip from the cup. "Hey, what did you average when you played for me?"

"Oh, I averaged about 5,006 beers a night." They both laugh as George sits back.

"Well, at least you were consistent."

"Yeah, you gotta give me that." George responded. "Hey, you know, uh...Beck plays."

"Beck? Oh. Oh, Dan's other son."

"Well, Karen's son." George corrects. "Dan's on the birth certificate, but they never got married."

"Where does he play?"

"He plays at this park down by the river with a couple of other friends."

"Oh, come on, George. If the kid had any promise, he'd be in the gym with the real players."

"Like Derek, you mean? Come on, Coach." George leans forward. "Just take a little drive with me."

_**-River Court-**_

Beck's at the river-court, playing basketball with Junk, Fergie, and Andre as Jimmy and Robbie announce. "Beck is on fire tonight! How do you say "hot" in French?" Robbie shouted.

"Flambé." Jimmy answered.

"Robbie is flambé."

"Fergie finds Beck who fakes out Junk again."

"They never learn, Robbie."

"That's what I'm talking about." George and Whitey are sitting in the car, watching the boys -but mostly Beck- play.

"Aright, let's say I'm interested, and I'm not saying I am. Why put him through that?"

"He should know that he's good. Not just playground good, but good, period. He could use that in his life." George points to the playground.

"We could all use that in our lives."

"Yeah, but we had our chance."

"So, you and Karen- are you..."

"We're friends. You know, I'm the kid's uncle, and I'm in their lives. It is what it is."

"I remember when Dan told me Karen was pregnant right after their senior year in high school. I told him he should honor his scholarship and go to college."

"I'll tell you one thing - you did Karen a favor, and Beck, too. Now maybe you could do me one." George looked at Whitey with a grin.

_**-Tori's Room-**_

Tori sits in her closet, messing with pictures on Photoshop as she listened to rock music. One picture was of a pile of skulls and the other one was of a man digging snow. Derek walked into her room and walked into her closet.

"What are you wasting your time at now?"

"I didn't hear you come in." Tori looked at him then back at her computer.

"Imagine that." Derek leans down. "You know nobody listens to this crap." He turns it off and walks into the outer part of the room. Tori leans on her closet frame when she gets up.

"I waited for you tonight."

"Yeah, the guys wanted to tip a few."

"And you didn't even think to let me know?"

"That's why I came by." Derek walked to her. "You want to come?"

"You want me to come with the guys?"

"And me."

"You and the guys."

"You know what Tori? I'm getting really tired of this." Derek walked around. "I came here to spend time with you."

"Yeah, spend time with me and half the team."

"You want to be a bitch? That's cool. Sit in your closet, just listen to your loser rock, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"How about you _don't _see me tomorrow?" Tori shouted.

"That's fine by me, like I don't have other options." Derek sees that he has upset Tori. He sighs and looks up at the ceiling. He then looks back at her. "I'm sorry. Tori, I'm really sorry. It's just a lot of these guys got suspended. So it's like this stupid bonding thing. Look, I wish it was just you and me. But I was hoping you'd come anyway. Make it a lot more bearable, okay?"

Tori smiled at him and he leaned in for a kiss. She leaned in as well and their lips met.

_**-Ontario High School-**_

The next day at Ontario High, Beck sat in class. He looked up to see Tori looking down at a piece of paper. She looked up at him and it became awkward. Coach Whitey walked in and called out, "Venturi." All eyes turned to him as he cautiously got up and walked to Whitey.

Whitey and Beck walk into the school gym and Beck sees a couple of basketballs set on a rail. "Nice, isn't it? A lot of people like their gyms loud. I like mine like this - quiet, clean...kind of like a church. A lot of praying done here anyway. You played ball in grade school. Why'd you quit?" Whitey picked up a ball and turned to face Beck who was looking around.

"I didn't." Beck spoke.

"What? Four guys in a park, that's not exactly basketball."

"Then what do you think we're doing out there?"

"I don't know, planning a bank job? Look, I've got an opening in my lineup, varsity. It's a chance of a lifetime." Whitey tosses a ball to him. Beck catches it. "What do you say?" Whitey asked.

"I say those people that pray here are wasting their time. God doesn't watch sports." Beck drops the ball to the ground and it dribbles as he walks out, beating to the rhythm of his footsteps.

_**-River Court-**_

Beck is back at the river-court with the guys and he shoots a basket, and Andre is the one to catch it. "Were you going to tell us, man?" Andre asks as he hands the ball to Beck.

"It's nothing."

"Whitey asked you to play on the team, and it's nothing?"

"It's nothing because I'm not playing. Not with those guys."

"Beck, man, I've been guarding you almost every night since we were like 12 years old, right? And I won how many games?" Andre asked. "I don't know. It just seems like a waste to me, man.

"Well, it doesn't to me. Don't you guys ever think that maybe we belong here?"

"No. _We_ belong here." Andre gestured to Fergie, Junk, and himself. "You've never belonged here."

"Thanks a lot, Andre." Beck grabbed the ball. "Just shoot for teams."

"Beck, you know you're one of my best friends, right? Nothing's ever going to change that. But keep it real. We ain't shooting for teams. We're shooting to be your excuse, and I ain't about to be part of that." Andre starts dribbling the basketball.

_**-Beck's House-**_

Beck runs down the sidewalk with his basketball till he reaches his house. When he reaches the top of the stairs, he sees a yellow package for him titled "Beck Venturi." He bends down and grabs it. He opens the door and walks into the house, a green colored house.

Once in his room, he opens the package and sees a white and blue jersey with his last name on the back and mascot "Ravens" on the front. Underneath "Venturi" is the number 3. He takes his hoodie and shirt off and tries on the jersey. Karen looks at him as she stands in the frame of the door. Beck turns around and knew he had to explain.

"Somebody left it at the door." Beck said.

"Take it off." Karen walks away. Beck sighed and turned around to face his reflection. He takes the jersey off and puts his shirt back on. He walks out of the house and walks down the stairs whilst putting his hands in his pockets. He sees Karen sitting by the bushes, gardening, except she wasn't gardening, she was looking at an album. He walks to her.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"Yes." She looks to see that Beck has sat down next to her. "Do you know who left it?"

"Coach Whitey left it, probably." Beck sighed. "He asked me to play."

"Maybe you should."

Beck scoffed, "You sound like Andre. You know, those guys refused to play today. They said they didn't want to be my excuse."

"How'd you feel about that?"

"Honestly? I was pissed. Those guys are supposed to be my friends."

"They are your friends. Do you remember that?" Karen points to a picture and lets him see the album. It was a picture of a 9 or 10 year old picture of Beck. He was standing in front of a Christmas tree, holding a basketball.

Beck laughed and said, "My first leather basketball. That was the year that Andre's father told us there was no Santa Claus."

"Yeah, and I tried to talk you out of that." Beck chuckles once Karen says that. "Then you said something I'll never forget. You said you felt bad for the kids who never figured it out, because when they grew up and had kids of their own, there wouldn't be any gifts on Christmas morning. You're a good kid, Beck. But sometimes I feel like you're sitting out your life on account of me and I don't want that for you. My past is not your future, okay?"

**-Derek's House-**

Derek is lifting weights when his Dad comes in. "What are you slinging?" Dan asked.

"Slinging about 160." Derek answered him.

"Give me that." Dan grabbed the weights. "Your mom called. She won't be back-" Dan paused. "What do you know about Whitey inviting..."

"Inviting your son to play?"

"Don't call him that."

"Dad, he's got our last name."

"The fact that he has your last name is only wishful thinking on his mother's part. We were young - summer after high school. We made a mistake."

"You made a mistake, all right. I mean, this guy's a zombie." Derek spoke.

"Okay."

"Look, it's kind of screwed up, all right? People talk about it." Derek grunts.

"Get out of here." Dan takes the weights. "I want you to go to this kid and encourage him _not _to play."

"I'm not afraid of him, Dad."

"Well, you should be. We've worked too hard to have anyone coming in now. Anyway, this has more to do with Whitey and me than you."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's a long story. If you want, I'll tell you someday. But for now, I want you to go to this kid and talk to him and trust me when I tell you, Derek, there's a bigger picture and this kid's not in it."

_**-River Court-**_

Later, Derek is talking to his friends. "So, your pops finally mentioned the spawn, huh? They say he's got game." One of the boys says. "Maybe we could use him."

"Please." Derek says. "I can get us to the state championship with three blind guys and a cripple, which is practically what I got with you and what's left."

"So where are we going?"

"Let's go to the park." Derek and his friends go to the river court to talk to Beck. When Beck makes a basket, Derek lets him know he's there.

"Nice shot. Think you can hit that against a double team, down by 2, packed house telling you that you suck? How about just two people telling you that you suck?"

"What do you want?" Beck looks at him, ball on his hip.

"What do I want? What do you want, man? I mean, other than my girlfriend and my spot in the lineup, huh? None of us want you on the team, man. I don't want you. The guys don't want you. My girlfriend surely doesn't want you. But here's the deal. You and me, one on one. You can name the time and place. If you win, I'll quit the team. If I win, you can crawl back in your little hole and you remember your place in all this. Choose the time and place, man, time and place."

Derek walks off.

_**-Street-**_

Beck is talking to Casey later about earlier. "So, Derek challenged you? Are you gonna play?

"I don't know. It's not like I have anything to prove."

"But you just don't want to show him sometimes - oh, damn!" Casey shouts when a flock of birds fly in front of Beck and Casey. "What is up? I was attacked!"

"By the way, it's a murder."

"What?"

"More than one crow is a murder." Beck tells her.

Casey scoffs, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"There's a parliament of owls; an exultation of larks; a murder of crows." Beck explains.

"I think that's why people think you're weird, right there." Casey chuckles.

"Ah, man, I would like to show him sometimes, though, what a mistake he's made."

"Dan?"

"Mostly for mom and sometimes for me."

"So, Beck, what are ravens - I mean, more than one?"

"It means unkindness."

_**-Venturi Body Shop/Street-**_

Tori's car breaks down, and George and Beck are working on a car at the shop. Beck finishes telling George about the whole confrontation with Beck and the basketball challenge. Beck also tells him about Whitey asking him to play for the team.

"Why wouldn't you play?"

"I do play, every night."

"It's not the same, Beck."

"Why? What makes it less of a game if people _don't _see it?"

"I'll tell you why." George starts telling Beck one of his childhood memories. "When I was a kid, my father took me to Raleigh to see David Thompson play. I was 9 years old. I couldn't have cared less about basketball. But when Thompson stepped onto the court, he was so young, so quick, and just so graceful that I was mesmerized. I couldn't take my eyes off him until late in the game, and I look up at my dad and he's got tears in his eyes. 14,000 strangers and my father were crying because he's so beautiful. He played with such poetry that he made us feel like we were a part of it. You have a gift, Beck, and it's a crime not to let people see it, to hide it in the park. It's a shame. That's why."

When George finishes, the phone rings. He walks to the phone and answers it. "This is George's body shop and towing."

Moments later, Beck finds himself going to tow Tori's car. Tori is standing outside of it, humming a song until Beck says, "That's me inside your head." Beck said.

"What?"

"NOFX, "That's me inside your head" it's the lyrics from..."

"I know the song." Tori snatches out her cell phone and dials Derek. "Derek...it's me. Alright, well, listen, my car broke down. You're gonna have to come pick me up. So, leave the gym...Listen, it'll take you, like, 10 minutes. I'm on River Road around the curve. Well, sucks to be you."

"Listen," Beck starts after she hangs up on him. "Are you sure you got a ride? I mean, I wait if you want."

"Yeah, that's what I want. Listen, have your dad call me with an estimate."

"He's my uncle."

"Well, if that's your story."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"It's a free country." Tori answers him.

"Why are you a cheerleader? No offense or anything, but you're about the least cheery person I know."

Later, Tori is still waiting on Derek to come pick her up. Beck stands looking at her beside the tow truck.

"Come on, let me give you a ride." Beck offered. "I'll let you insult me."

"First of all, you don't know me. Second of all, you don't know me. God, why are guys such jerks?!" Tori shouts and puts her hand on her head.

"All guys or just Derek?"

"Him...you."

"I don't know. We share the same father."

"Yeah, I heard that. He's kind of an ass. So that must suck having to see him around."

"It sucks for my mom. I never knew him."

"But she told you he was your dad?"

"Yeah, eventually. We used to play in junior leagues together - me and Derek."

"Basketball?"

"Yeah, and I loved it. I was good at it. You ever have something that you knew that you were better at than almost anybody else?"

"Sex...that was a joke."

"Anyway...guys kept teasing me about it, about how Derek's dad was my dad, too. So I asked my mom and she said he wasn't. But I get home, and I hear her crying in her room. I knew it was true. So I never went back. I told my mom it was because I didn't want to have to see his face. But it was mostly because I didn't want her to have to." Beck sighs.

"Why did you just tell me all that?" Tori asked. "I mean, we barely know each other."

"Maybe that's the point."

_**-George's Body Shop-**_

At the shop, Dan had just finished asking George about giving Derek a job here. "Derek's got a shot here, George, a real future."

"He's got a real future? Let me ask you something. Do you ever even think about Beck's future? Do you ever think about that?"

"I can't change the fact that this kid exists. If I could, I would. The truth is that I told Karen I'd take care of it but she..." Dan gets cut off by keys jingling. Beck walks in, he throws the key, and runs out, having heard everything Dan said.

_**-Gym-**_

Beck is now confronting Derek at the gym. "Tomorrow night; at the river court, but if I win; I'm going to want something else."

"What exactly is that?" Derek looked at him.

"If I win...you stay on the team. It shouldn't even affect you in any way if I joined the team."

_**-Dan Venturi Dealership-**_

At the car dealership, Karen comes to see Dan.

"I love that car." Dan spoke. "I love that car. My wife's got that car. I'm guessing you're not car shopping." He watches as Karen walks to him.

"He's a boy who wants to play basketball reluctantly. I find it horrifying and amusing it takes something as simple as that to bring you around."

"I'm only thinking of the kid."

"You have no right to think of him, not today or any other day of his life."

"Are you finished?"

"I haven't even started. We've asked nothing of you, and you have delivered in fine fashion. I'll expect that to continue. If Beck decides to play, you'll do nothing. Anything else might make me angry and detract from the pleasant, cordial side you see now."

"You know I know your son doesn't exactly fit in, but Derek is all-state, and I'm not sure why you'd want to humiliate your kid like that."

"You're right, Dan. I'd rather not humiliate him. You've done that enough to Derek."

_**-Venturi House-**_

At home, Dan sees Derek has a pierced nipple. Derek looks to see that Dan is staring at him. "What?"

"If I wanted a daughter, I would've adopted one."

"So you could abandon her, too?" Derek speaks. "That was just a joke."

"Yeah, and this bet tonight, is that a joke, too? Or would you really quit the team? You have everything to lose here and nothing to gain."

"Sometimes what you call "everything," I call "nothing."

"I just think it's best if you don't do this, Derek. We'll find another way."

"No. Dad, I do a lot of stuff for you, almost everything. But I'm gonna do this for me." Just then, Tori walks out of Derek's bathroom wearing a towel.

"Hi, Mr. Venturi," Tori greets him.

_**-Karen's Café-**_

At the café, George and Karen are talking.

"So, I would have preferred a warning shot on this one. Something to let me know what was coming with Beck." Karen spoke as she sipped some tea.

"Yeah, that's fair enough. But you should see him play, Karen. I mean, it's like - it's like poetry, you know? And he's gonna be fine."

"Yeah I know. Do you ever wonder about it, George? How we got to this?"

"How we got to hanging out in the old café and lamenting the past with Casey listening from behind?"

"I am not listening." Casey pops up from behind the counter. "Okay, I was. I am."

"Right, I just wondered how we got here so fast."

"I don't know. When I see Beck in high school, it seems like a blink of an eye. But otherwise, it seems like it's been forever.

_**-Karen's Café: Room-**_

Casey joins Beck on the roof and turns the lights on.

"Wow." Beck stares in amazement. Casey smiles and stands next to him. "This place looks great."

"Thanks. I just finished putting up the lights. Miniature golf is never going to be the same. Your mom is worried. She's downstairs with George picking through her past."

"Do you think I'm being selfish playing Derek?" Beck asks, taking a seat on the roof. Casey takes a seat next to him.

"Well, do you?"

"A little bit. I mean, if I walked away, then my mom wouldn't be downstairs worried about it now."

"You know, I don't say things like this very often 'cause it sounds weird, but...you're a really good guy, and I'm glad we're friends. But you and your mom worry too damn much."

_**-River Court-**_

Robbie is getting ready to announce the game. He grabs the microphone and sits next to Jimmy.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a historic night of basketball. I'm Robbie Shapiro, along with my gamey partner, Jimmy Edwards, and Jimmy; we're in for a treat tonight."

"And who doesn't love a treat, Robbie?" Jimmy speaks into the microphone when Robbie hands it to him. "I know I do - s'mores, ice cream, cake."

Tori is talking to Derek as he gets ready to play. "So, if you're not doing it for your Dad, then why are you doing it?"

"You wouldn't get it. I guess not."

"So what if this guy plays? Are you really that threatened?"

"Well, then why do it? To prove okay, so what if he wins? What does he get?"

"He gets you." Derek walks off as spectators talk indistinctly.

Robbie starts talking into the microphone again. "Just moments before the stroke of 12:00, and still no Derek Venturi."

"The natives are getting restless, Robbie, judging by the crowd that envelops our booth." Jimmy grabs the microphone and speaks into it.

"You don't have a booth." Junk snapped.

"Junk Morreti joins us now. Junk, you care to make a prediction?"

"I predict you guys will be the two biggest morons out here." A car pulls up to the river court.

"And it looks like Derek Venturi has arrived, driven by car right onto the court."

The crowd starts chanting, "Derek! Derek!" Chanting continues, cheers and applause as the game starts. "Let's go, Derek!"

"Okay, folks," Robbie starts. "Here we go - 15 by ones. Make it, take it, win by one, and you can feel the intensity in the in air."

"Are you ready for this?" Derek asked Beck.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's your life."

"Yeah, it is."

Derek passed Beck the ball and the game started. Beck tricks Derek into which direction he was going and makes a basket over Derek's head.

"Oh! A 25-footer rips the silk like Jimmy Edwards in a size 3 dress."

"Go ahead, man. I'll give you that all night." Derek says. Derek gets the ball and gives it back to Beck. Derek gets in a go-ready position as Beck dribbles the ball. He does another 25-footer.

"Is that all you got, man? If that's all you got, this is over." Derek remarks.

"Yeah, all right!" Robbie shouts into the microphone. He passes it to Jimmy.

"This looks to be a battle, Robbie. Yeah! Yeah!"

The game goes on with both boys making great shots. Derek elbows Beck in the face.

"No foul. Basket counts. Besides...you won't score again." says Beck.

"Oh, the basket counts." Robbie says. "It's 14-12, game point for Derek. He could win it all right here. Derek for the win. Holy crap!" Beck makes an unbelievable block. "Did you see that?! Someday, men will write stories about that block. Children will be named after it; Vegainean women will weep for it. Beck gets a basket, and he's down by one."

"You're down by one, man." Derek walks back to him with the basketball. "Don't choke now."

"Another dagger and it's all tied up! I think I'm gonna puke!"

"Come on, Derek! Come on, shut him down, Derek!"

"This is it, folks...no going back now. The next basket wins it."

"He's never mentioned you, man, not once in all these years." Derek tells him.

"This is for my mom." Beck makes the winning shot!

"Beck for the win!" Robbie shouts happily. "It's good! It's good! Beck Venturi takes it 15-14 and there is bedlam and delirium and felicity for all!"

"So, what did you bet?" Tori asks Beck.

"I win, Derek stays on the team."

"Why?"

"Because it's the last thing he wants. And anyway, it's not about him." Beck looks at her.

Derek comes back and calls her, "Tori."

"I'll be seeing you." Beck tells her as she walks back to Tori.

_**-Derek's House-**_

Derek enters his house and looks to see his dad in the living room watching TV. Dan looks at him as Derek stares at him. "Don't worry dad. Your dreams are still safe."

_**-School Gym: Next Day-**_

Beck enters the gym and everyone stops. They stare at him as he stands there with a basketball.

_"There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood leads onto the fortune. But omitted, and the voyage of their life is bound in shallows in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves. Or lose the ventures before us." - Lucas Scott_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

At the river court, a boat passes by as Beck stands with a basketball. It was the night Beck was going to play his first game in the gym.

"Be nice, be nice, and put it in there. There you go." Robbie talks.

"Beck." Andre calls him. "What up dog? Check this out. You shoot this one. See what you got." Beck shoots and the ball goes in.

"Ahh!"

"Come on, let's move!" Robbie shouts near the car.

"Time to go." Andre walked to the car with Beck following.

"Six-thirty, Beck!"

"Oh, come on don't gotta come. It's just a game." Beck said.

"Right." Andre says sarcastically. "Whitey asked you to play on the team."

"And Derek threatens you." Junk is the next one to state the fact.

"You beat him right here one on one, you join the team." Robbie is the next one to speak.

"And now it's the first game and we ain't gotta come? Um-um. We are going. This game is for all of us." Andre tosses Robbie the ball. Beck catches it and looks at his friends.

"Let's go, Beck!" Jimmy shouts.

_**-Karen's Café-**_

A truck goes by Karen's Cafe. Everyone in it is chanting "Ravens." Karen's behind the counter and George walks over.

"Karen! You ready to go?"

"Oh. I'm not going. I decided to stay open. I could use the business."

"You talk to Beck about this?"

"No. But he'll understand."

"Karen-"

Casey interrupts him at the door. "She doesn't want to go. She doesn't want to see her high school sweetheart slash your brother Dan slash the jerk who abandoned Beck slash the father of Derek, the team's star player. Slash my wrists if I hear this story again. Let's go."

George looks at Karen as he steps backward toward Casey. "I think you're making a mistake." George told Karen on his way out. George and Casey leave. Karen looks after them with an upset expression.

_**-Derek's House-**_

At the Venturi house, Dan and Derek are walking as Dan talks. "Whitey can put this kid on the team, he can put him in the game, but he can't put him in your game. So shut him out. And shut down the opposition. You've got Broner tonight. They're pretty good so be ready."

"Alright."

_**-Locker Room-**_

Derek walks in the locker room smashing fists with a friend. He reaches his locker and glares at Beck. Whitey walks in.

"Venturi!" He shouts. Beck follows him into his office. "You nervous?"

"A little bit."

"Good, you should be." He gives Beck a blue and white jersey. "Just do what you've been doing all week in practice. You'll be fine."

As Beck exits Whitey's office, Jimmy and Robbie walk toward him

"Beck! You mind if we get a few words before your first game?" Robbie asked.

"Yeah, we're going to put it on the internet." said Jimmy.

"Yeah. We're going to have a webcast and everything." Robbie says as Whitey walks out.

"What the hell is this?"

"Well, we have this website." Robbie starts explaining to him.

"Yeah, we're sports announcers."

"Not in here, you're not. The locker rooms closed. No media." He walks off.

"Dude, did you hear that? We're media."

"Not just media; banned media." Robbie and Jimmy laugh happily and walk away. Beck looks after them, mildly entertained.

_**-Locker Room-**_

In the locker room, the team's lined up, about to exit. They're chanting, "They don't what! Or we're gonna what! Or what! Or what!"

"Alright, let's take the court."

"Ravens! Ravens! Ravens! Ravens! Ravens!"

Beck is toward the end of the line. He's not chanting. Neither is Derek, who's behind him.

"Want my world?" Derek asked. "You've got it."

Beck and Derek walk out, almost side by side. The players are warming up. Dan walks onto the bleachers behind George and Casey. He pats George on the shoulder.

"George! Hey, finally came to see your nephew play, huh, big brother?"

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." George responds as he and Casey share a look.

On the court, Derek shoots a basket and gets it in. Robbie and Jimmy are sitting in the audience when Robbie speaks into a recorder. "Tonight, Beck Venturi plays his first game for the Ontario Ravens."

"That's right, Robbie. Now, the Ravens are 5 and 0. But this is their first game following the suspension of six varsity players."

Beck shoots a basket when he hears Dan shout, "Son!" Beck turns around and he and Dan stare at each other uncomfortably.

"Wake up." Derek says, running over and tossing the basketball to Beck. When the whistle blows, the team runs over to Coach Whitey.

"All right, come in! Hustle! Hustle!"

Tori and Jade are standing on the edge of the gym when Jade asks, "So that's the boy who beat Derek?" Tori nods. "Well, he's good from behind." Jade added.

"Ravens on three." Tim shouted when the hustle was over. "One, two, three!"

"Ravens!" The team shouts.

"Beck, relax. Destiny has a way of finding you." Whitey tells him.

Derek and another guy battle for control of the ball during the toss off. The ball goes flying.

"Come on, Derek!"

"Let's go, Beck!" Casey and George shout. Beck goes to catch the ball and narrowly misses hitting Tori with it.

"Nice hands." Tori comments.

"Nice legs." Beck runs back to the game leaving Tori surprised. As Beck runs by him, Dan watches.

"Let's see some game!" George shouts.

An opponent has the ball and Beck is unable to stop the opposing team from scoring a basket. Whitey and Dan shake their heads.

"Hey, which side you on?" Derek asks him. Tori and Jade continue to cheer.

"Go Ravens!" Tori shouts. Beck is thrown the ball. He goes to shoot and misses. George and Casey wince. He tries again and misses again. Dan grins. After the third time, Derek grabs the ball and shoots it in.

Dan claps and shouts, "Go Derek!" A whistle blows.

"Out!" Whitey pauses. "Good!" Beck walks over.

"It's not your night, son." Whitey tells him as Beck sits on the bench and Derek runs by.

"Take some notes, punk."

_**-Derek's Car-**_

In Derek's car, he and Tori are making out and Derek starts to laugh. Tori starts glaring at him.

"What? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Hey, I'm sorry." They start kissing again, but Derek laughs again. Tori moves away.

"Unbelievable."

"What? Tori, did you see how bad he sucked?

"So?"

"He was horrible. I've never seen a guy play so bad."

"And you enjoyed that?"

"Well, hell yeah. Didn't you?" Derek says. Tori looks away. "What is this, Tori? Do you like this guy or something?"

Tori laughs and moves towards him and says, "You mean more than my boyfriend who I'm trying to make out with right now?"

"Well, go put some ice on it. You ever think I might want to talk?"

Tori moves back. "No, you don't. You want to celebrate a public humiliation and I'm sorry, that's a little played out."

"Oh and being with you isn't?"

Tori glares at him and gets out of the car.

"Oh, Tori, come on, I was joking." Tori walks away and Derek rolls the window down.

"Are you getting in the car?" Derek pauses. "Please?" She still doesn't budge. "Fine." Derek throws her pompoms out the window. "Take your lame music too." He throws her CDs out as well. "And have a nice walk home." He drives away.

Tori screams after him. "Damn it, Derek! That CD was hard to find! It's an import."

_**-Karen's Café-**_

Someone knocks on the door of Karen's Cafe. "It's open." Karen says and George walks in

"Hey."

"Is he okay?" Karen asks.

"I don't know. I didn't see him afterward." George pauses. "You should've been there."

"Well, you shouldn't have gone to Whitey."

"I thought you supported this."

"I support Beck. I didn't have much of a choice after you went and got him on the team, did I?"

"What's going on?" George asks.

"I should've been there. I thought it was over, George, I really did. Maybe I've just been hiding. Just, I can't go back there. The place knows too much." Karen looks up.

_**-River Court-**_

Beck is trying to shoot some hoops at the river court but he's failing to score. A voice spins him around. "I guess misery really does love company." Beck looks to see Tori.

"What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Actually, I'm not here. I was never here." Tori starts to walk away.

"You know, I shoot the ball and it goes in. I don't ask questions, I don't think about it. It's just the way it is."

"Or the way it is."

"Yes."

"Beck, it's just a game. Who cares if the entire school, most of your friends and half the town saw you suck?"

"So you've clearly come to cheer me up." Tori smiles at him when he finishes.

"Want a ride?" Beck offers.

_**-Derek's House-**_

At the Venturi house, Dan's watching a tape of the game when Derek walks in. "Derek!" Dan shouts. Derek comes over to Dan.

"Look at this. What did you do there?"

"I was double teamed, so I found the open man."

"Wrong. You gave up a scoring opportunity in the post."

"What? Dad, I was double teamed. I scored 28 points."

"30 points would've looked better to the scouts, don't you think?" Dan pauses. "Go to sleep. You look winded in the fourth quarter. We'll go for a run together in the morning."

"You wonder why Mom extends those business trips." Derek mumbles as he starts to walk away.

_**-Tori's House-**_

A truck pulls to a stop outside of Tori's house. Tori looks at him and asks, "Look, you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." Beck responded.

"Why'd you decide to do it? Join the team? Because you don't exactly fit in here, do you?"

"The game, I guess. I love the game." Beck answered.

"Right. The same reason I cheer. It's all a big game. Why not just stay on the playground? Why join the varsity?"

"I want to know if I'm good."

"Well, if you ask my opinion, we all just wasted a perfectly good evening; you, me, and everyone else in there."

Beck asks, "Then why do you do it? I mean, do you really like it or not?"

"If I say that I like it, then I'm just another cheerleader. But if I say that I hate it, then I'm either a liar or a fraud. Either way I lose." Tori answers and goes to get out but turns to ask Beck, "Do you want to come in?"

"What about Derek?"

"What about him?" Tori gets out and Beck thinks about it, then gets out and follows her to the door. "What are you doing?"

"Um, you just said..."

"I didn't invite you to come in. I asked if you wanted to." Tori pauses. "Thanks for the ride." She walks inside and shuts the door in his face.

_**-Beck's House-**_

Karen is sitting at home waiting for Beck to arrive. He walks in and looks at her. "Hi honey." She greets him."

"I looked for you."

"Yeah, we were, uh, busy at the café. Which is the good thing, right?"

"Sure." Beck said even though he felt slightly hurt that his mom didn't close the shop to go watch her own son play. He starts to walk away but she stops him.

"Beck!" He turns around. "I'm sorry I missed it."

"Yeah, me too." Beck responded. She watches him go to his room upset.

_**-Tori's Room-**_

Tori's web cam is up, and the real Tori is shown. The phone rings and she picks it up. Seeing it is Derek, she hangs up. Tori's making a drawing. It's of a car pulling away from a girl. The phone rings again, and she picks it up again. She answers it this time.

"I'm sorry." She hears Derek's voice on the other side of the phone.

"Tori's not here right now, just her lame music."

"Look, I'm really sorry, it's just...this guy's on the team now, and my dad's been hammering me about it." He pauses. "But I shouldn't take it out on you. I know that." As he talks, Tori covers her webcam.

"Derek, I'm tired of this."

"I know. I just...look, I haven't been very good to you lately and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, okay?" He pauses. "Just say it's okay so that when I see you tomorrow we can start being us again. Okay, Tori?"

"Okay." She looks at her drawing. The words "It's not okay" are written across the top."

_**-Ontario High-**_

At Ontario High, all the teens are in class. "Early in his career, Hemingway was frustrated. He was a good writer who wanted to be great. And eventually, he discovered that less is more." The teacher pauses. "Tori, describe Beck using just one word." Everyone looks at Tori.

"Choke." Everyone laughs.

"Okay, be quiet please." The teacher says. "Thank you. Beck, care to respond and describe Tori?"

"Lonely." Beck looks at Tori and the class "oohs". Derek raises his hand.

"Yes, Derek?"

"I can describe Beck in one word." Beck looks at him. "Jerk."

"Alright, alright, that's enough!" Tori looks shocked when Beck jumps out of his chair and attacks Derek. The two proceed to fight.

Before Beck knows it, he's in Whitey's office. Whitey looks at him with anger and says, "I'd stand up and every time I do, somebody kicks me in the butt for putting you on the team. Sit down!"

Beck sits and Whitey continues, "Boy, I must be getting senile, because I thought you were different. I stuck my neck out for you. I trusted you."

"I shouldn't have hit him. You're right."

"Damn right, I'm right."

Beck pauses. "I don't think I can do this."

"Right; one bad game and you just run away."

Beck leans forward. "I didn't run away." His voice then turns sincere. "That's why I'm in your office."

_**-Locker Room-**_

In the locker room, Tim and Derek are talking about the fight that took place in the classroom. "So what happened after you tackled him." Tim asks.

"Kelly broke it up. Any longer I might've destroyed him."

"Or he might've beaten your butt." Jake Jagielski joined in.

"What do you know about it, Jagielski?"

"What do any of us know about anything? But if I had to take a guess, I'd say that he tackled you first. And I'm pretty sure that you were at the bottom of it when Mr. Kelly broke it up."

"Well, you're wrong." Derek responds. "Why don't you grab a rebound every now and then, huh?"

"What, are you putting on makeup?" Whitey shouts when he comes into the locker room. "Get in the gym and start warming up." Derek and Tim start to leave. Whitey directs something to Jake, "Jagielski, when you find the pumps to match your skirt, you my meet us in the gym." He and Jagielski both smile. They have a different relationship than Whitey has with the rest of the players.

"Hey, this is just the start of it for you." Derek tells Beck as Beck opens his locker.

"Derek!" Whitey shouts. Derek leaves and Beck gets ready.

_**-Rooftop-**_

Later, Casey is playing the rooftop mini-golf course when Beck comes up. She looks at him and says, "Any side effects?"

"Side effects from what?" He asks.

"Side effects from your amnesia. I'm talking about how you must've gotten amnesia because I know that you would've mentioned that you got into a fight today." Casey pauses. "Are you okay, Beck?"

"Yes." He pauses. "You ever wake up from a really good dream and try to get back to sleep? Or you got the flu and you promise yourself that you'd appreciate normal so much more if you could just get back to it?"

"Yeah."

"That's the way I feel. I just want things to go back to the way they were."

"With basketball?"

"With everything."

_**-Tori's Room-**_

"You know, it's really too bad Beck is poor and he can't play because he is fine." Jade pauses. She and Tori were hanging out in Tori's room. "Hey, I think it's really good that you're fighting with Derek again."

"You do?"

"Yeah, every time you guys fight I get to hear new music."

Tori kicks her playfully and she laughs. Jade says, "Hey, did you buy the new Beyoncé?"

"No."

"You know, Tori, I know you're all Gwen Stefani, plaid skirt, I'm a badass, but we love you anyway, and you know why? Friday nights, when it is game time, there you are as one of us."

"P.S. Gwen Stefani is not a badass." Tori pauses. "You ever look past it, Jade?"

"Past what?"

"All of it; the high school, basketball, and just the whole popularity drama?"

"Yeah, I mean, I think about the future sometimes and it scares me. But then I think I'll go to college, I'll join the right sorority, I'll marry a rich guy...unless I get fat."

Tori nods, seemingly shocked by the shallowness.

_**-George's Body Shop and Towing-**_

"Look, it's only one game, Beck." George says as he and Beck stand in "George Venturi's Car and Body Shop". "Even Jordan played lousy in his first pro game."

"Michael Jordan scored 16 points in his first pro game."

"Yeah, I know that. I just didn't think you did. All I'm saying is, you know, you've got to shake it off."

"What if I can't do it, George? I mean maybe I can't play at this level."

"You can."

"Well, maybe not. And plus, it's all of them. I don't fit into their world. I never will. It's stupid."

"Even Jordon got cut from his high school varsity team and he did okay." George paused as a thought of Karen slipped through his mind. "What did your mom say about it?"

"I haven't talked to her yet."

"Well, you should."

"Why?"

"Because she deserves it. I mean, she's going through this thing, too. You're not the only one." George looks inside Tori's car and whistles. "It's a rule of life...the prettier the girl, the messier the car, it's a real turnoff, huh?" George's not exaggerating. The car is truly disgusting. Beck reaches in and pulls out a sketchbook. Opening it, he finds a letter to Thud Magazine and a few sketches.

"Those are my sketches!" Tori shouts and walks up behind Beck and grabs the sketchbook.

"Um...I wasn't looking."

"This is personal, alright. I don't read your diary!"

"I don't have a diary."

"No? Dear Diary, my daddy doesn't love me." Tori mocked. "P.S., Stay out of my stuff!" She storms off.

_**-Derek's House-**_

Derek's lifting weights outside the house when Dan walks up to him. "What's this I hear about a fight?" He asks.

"It was nothing." Derek says.

Dan asks, "Did you win?"

"Dad, it was nothing!" He shouted.

"No, son, it was something, because if it was nothing, the principal wouldn't have called me at the dealership. Do you realize how fast a suspension or bad reputation can ruin your prospects?"

"Dad, he was hitting on my girlfriend! What do you want me to do?"

"Hitting on your girlfriend? Derek, if you're going to get in a fight, then gets in a fight over something important. Did you get hurt?"

"No."

"Okay, good." He starts to walk away but stops when Derek asks if he did. "Me? Why?

"He wasn't swinging at me, Dad. He was swinging at you."

_**-Beck's House-**_

"So, you gonna tell me about the fight or you just assume I know about it while I yell at you?" Karen, Casey, and Beck are sitting at a table in Beck's house. He glares at Casey.

"Is that the phone? I'll get it." The phone's clearly not ringing but Casey gets up anyway.

"I'm still here."

"Mom, he had it coming. You know he said..."

"No. When they called me today, I was certain they had the wrong boy. And then they told me they had two Venturis and I could take my pick. Honestly, Beck, fighting in class? Fighting at all?"

"The guy was being a jerk."

"And this is suddenly a surprise to you? He hasn't been a jerk before?"

"No. He's always a jerk."

"So why go down to his level?" Karen pauses. "This wouldn't have anything to do with playing poorly, would it?"

"How would you know? You weren't even there!" Beck shouts angrily. Karen, shocked and saddened, gets up and leaves.

"I'm sorry, Mom...Mom! I'm s-"He gives up. He looks out the window to see Tori at the building, Thud Magazine. She doesn't enter and drops her sketchbook in the trash. Beck walks out and runs to the trash can. He reaches in and pulls the sketchbook out, then looks at Thud Magazine.

_**-Beck's House: Morning-**_

Beck walks outside the next morning and sits down with Karen on the bench. "How'd you sleep?" She asked.

"Not so good. I had this really bad dream where I was a jerk to my mom."

"Listen." They both say.

"Jinx." He says and playfully punches Karen's shoulder.

"Hey." She punches him back and he laughs.

"Sorry."

"No. I'm sorry. I should've told you the truth about why I couldn't be there. I- I really wanted to Beck, but the idea of walking into that gym..." Karen pauses. "That's where he told me he was going away to college without me. That's where everything changed." They're both quiet. "I don't regret one second of one day with you, okay? I don't. But that was a hard day in that gym. And it was basketball that he chose. And I'm sorry that you have to hear things like that, but I don't want to lie to you either."

"I'm sorry you had to live it." They hug.

_**-Street-**_

Derek and Dan are outside walking. Derek is listening to Dan as he tells him something. "Look, I want to talk about what's happening with the team. I know you think I've been hard on you, but that's because I see the big picture here. Whitey's not going to bench this kid just because of one bad game."

"So what? Let him embarrass himself."

"No, it's more than that. Back when I played for Whitey, his word was law. He was always right even when he was wrong. So eventually, I called him in on it."

"And he benched you in the state championship."

"Yeah, so he claimed. He covered and acted like he benched me." Dan continued. "But you should know the truth. I refused to go back in that game. We were ahead in the fourth quarter, and Whitey wanted to stall. What did I tell you about playing with the lead?"

"Be aggressive."

"Exactly. Be aggressive. Plus, there were scouts who were there to see me. This guy was checking me. He was going to some big college back in Tinkham, so I did. I disobeyed Whitey and I scored on him.

"Nice." Derek and Dan come to a stop in front of their house and Dan helps Derek stretch his arms.

"Yeah, so Whitey called a time out and starts screaming about how it's his system that got us there and no one player was bigger than the team. So I said down and called his bluff."

"And they lost."

"Yeah, I felt bad for the guys. But he needed to know I'm the one who got us there. Not him and his system. Listen, Derek, I don't want you to back off this kid. No matter how poorly he plays, Whitey's just using him to get back at me. Eventually I'll deal with Whitey but for now, it's just you and me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay." Derek walks away.

_**-Library-**_

Beck is walking in the library and Jagielski is behind him.

"Hey Beck." Jagielski falls into step behind him. "Tough game the other night."

"Yeah, it sure was." He's looking at Jake weird.

"It happens." There's a short pause till Jake speaks again. "So you read a lot, huh?"

"Yeah." He answers.

"Yeah, I got something for you. Listen, I know we haven't had really got a chance to talk much since you joined the team but I just kinda wanted to stay out of your way. Give you a chance to chill, you know." Jake pauses and then realizes he never introduced himself. "Oh, I'm Jake."

"Yeah, I know." Beck shakes his hand.

"There's a lot of talk about your one on one with Derek. Man, I wish I could've been there."

"Ah, it was no big deal."

"You know Derek, he's...he's a hell of player he really is. But he buys into all of this nonsense. You've got him scared; fear changes everything." Jake hands Beck a copy of the book Atlas Shrugged.

"Atlas Shrugged?"

"Yeah, you read it?"

"No."

"It's good." He responds. "Anyway, you're gonna be fine. Just remember...don't let him take it."

"I don't know what that means."

"Yeah, I know. But you will soon." Jake says and leaves as Beck looks after him then back at the book.

_**-Mr. Kelly's Classroom-**_

Everyone's back in Mr. Kelly's room. They're sitting at their desks as he teaches. "Okay, we're going to try out little Hemingway project again. But in order to avoid a bar fight," He looks at both Beck and Derek. "We're going to do it on paper. Now you don't have to put your names on these. Simply write one word, one single word, to describe what you want most in your life right now."

_**-River Court-**_

Beck is attempting to shoot the ball into the hoop when Derek walks over and grabs the ball. "It's like this." Derek shoots the ball in as Beck rolls his eyes. "You can't do it can you?" Derek pauses. "That's beautiful. I always wondered about it. We all do it, right?" He pauses again. "What happens when it's gone? But see, I've never seen anybody lose it; like really lose it...until now."

Derek shoots again then gives the ball to Beck. "Go ahead, man. Prove me wrong."

"I don't have to prove anything to you."

"That's pathetic, and it's too bad, really. I mean, I was looking forward to taking you down slowly, but now? Hell, what's the point? You already know it's over." Derek starts to walk away but stops and turns around. "I'd say see you at practice, but we both know you're not going to be there." He pauses. "Why humiliate yourself, right?"

As Derek walks away, Beck throws the ball and it hits Derek's car. "You missed again."

_**-Gym-**_

At the gym, the team is practicing as Whitey takes attendance. "Beck Venturi!" He pauses. "Beck Venturi!" There's no answer and Whitey shakes his head, disappointed.

_**-George's Body Shop and Towing-**_

Tori's picking up her car and Beck is behind the counter as Tori fills out the forms. "No practice today?" Tori asks. Beck doesn't answer; instead, he throws her sketchbook on the counter. "What, are you stalking me?"

"I thought someone should see them."

"Well, it's none of your business."

"You know what? You're right; it's none of my business. I wouldn't know anything about it."

"I know you don't." Tori speaks as she starts to leave.

"Look, just tell me why you didn't submit them. Your stuff is good." Beck says walking out from the counter.

"It's not good enough."

"Look, Tori, why not?"

Tori turns around, "I want to draw something that means something to someone. You know, I want to draw blind faith or a fading summer or...just a moment of clarity. It's like when you go and you see a really great band live or for the first time, you know, and nobody's saying it but everybody's thinking it - 'We have something to believe in again.' I want to draw that feeling. But, I can't. And if I can't be great at it then I don't want to ruin it. It's too important to me." She starts to leave.

"Yep, me too." Beck mumbles. Tori turns around and looks at him before getting in her car and starting it. "Hey, about your sketch up?"

"What about them? They don't mean anything to anybody, do they?" Tori pulls out and Beck looks after her.

_**-Office-**_

Dan walks into Whitey's office and walks up to his desk.

"People who value their lives usually knock first." Whitey starts talking and looks up and sees Dan. "Oh, that explains it."

"It's like a time capsule in here."

"What can I do for you, Dan?"

"Well...you can let it go."

"That's definitely the pot calling the kettle back, isn't it?" Whitey laughs.

"If you got a problem with me, Whitey, don't take it out on André."

"What problem would that be, Dan?"

"Oh, I think you know; the state championship. Now you've gone and humiliated Karen's son in some feeble attempt to get even."

"Karen's son...that's a very convenient way of putting it...It might interest you to know that Karen's son has taken himself off the team. Does that make you happy, Dan? Seeing the demise of the kid you fathered and then abandoned."

"Hey, move Derek back to shooting guard and you might finally win that state championship." Dan starts to leave but stops in his tracks when Whitey speaks.

"You're just destroying kids' lives left and right, aren't you?"

"Well, you've made a career out of it."

_**-Mr. Kelly's Classroom-**_

There aren't any students in Mr. Kelly's classroom anymore and Mr. Kelly is sitting at his desk, going through a stack of small papers the kids wrote there word on. One of them says the word "truth." Then another one says, "Revenge.", along with another one that says "answers."

_**-River Court-**_

Beck is sitting on the picnic table at the river court as Whitey pulls up, gets out of his car, and walks over to Beck. "We missed you at practice."

"I can't do it."

"You want to know something?" Whitey takes a seat beside him. "I have had 35 winning seasons. Do you know what keeps me up at night? College jobs I never took. I could've been having a way of doing that."

"Yeah." Beck nods.

"We got a game tomorrow night. You're on my team until rip-off. The rest is up to you." Beck nods. "Look, son, there's no shame in being afraid. Hell, we're all afraid. What you've got to do is figure out what you're afraid of. Because when you put a face on it, you can beat it. Or better yet, you can use it." Whitey pauses. "Think about it."

Whitey leaves and Beck is clearly thinking about it.

_**-Tori's Room-**_

Tori's lying on her bed reading a magazine as Derek paints her toenails. "You've got some ugly toes, girl."

"No I don't."

"Yeah, you do. They're practically fingers."

"Well, then just focus on the middle one."

"Aw, come on." Derek lies down next to her. "I was just joking. I love your toes." Derek pauses. "So I'm thinking about quitting the team."

"Right." Tori sarcastically says.

"No, I'm serious. I don't even like it anymore. Whitey can't stand me. It's never good enough for my dad."

Tori's getting excited; she likes this. She's actually smiling. "I think you should. Why not, right? I mean, you can quit the team and I'll quit cheerleading and then...we can just walk away from it. Derek let's do it!"

_**-Street-**_

Casey and Beck are walking down the street when Casey brings up a subject. "Did you ever figure out your porn name?"

"What are you talking about?" Beck raises his eyebrow.

"Your porn name; Um, you know, you take the name of your first pet and your mother's maiden name and you put them together. What was the name of your first pet?"

"You know that. I had a dog named Rocket."

"Oh, Rocket! Ah! I loved Rocket!" Casey paused. "So your mother's maiden name is Roe. Rocket Roe," Casey laughed. "Nice."

"What's yours?"

"Uh, oh, I had a bunny, named Bunny."

"You had a bunny named Bunny?"

"Yes, I did. And my mother's maiden name is Beaugard. So...nice."

"Bunny Beaugard." Beck says and Casey repeats him.

"Bunny Beaugard."

"Dawson's Freak; starring Rocket Venturi and Bunny Beaugard."

"Nice." Beck says.

Casey shouts, "Shut up!" Beck starts to walk away but she stops him. "Hey, um, this game tonight. You're not playing anymore?"

"No." Beck paused. "You know I've never walked away from anything before, Casey?"

"Yeah, you haven't."

"But I can't do it. And even worse, I don't know why I can't do it. You know, it's like, no matter how confusing or screwed up life got, the game always made sense. It was mine, you know. And in a lot of ways, it's who I am. But I can't be that person in their gym, or in their uniforms, or...in their world."

"I hear you, Beck, but I know you, and I know that no matter what happens you're still going to be the same guy you always were. No uniform, a...whatever is gonna ruin that, you know?" Casey paused. "Call me later. We'll go get some pizza."

_**-Beck's Room-**_

Beck flips through Tori's sketchbook at him. He stops on a sketch with a bunch of similarly dressed people with one exception. Over it, it says, "They are not you." Karen walks in with a lot of laundry.

"Hey." Beck looks up once he hears her.

"I took the night off. I thought I'd take in a basketball game."

"Sorry mom."

"No, Beck, I'm sorry. I've always loved the game, even in the junior leagues." Karen laughs before continuing. "I remember when they issued you your first jersey, and I couldn't get you out of that. You wore that thing for weeks. Then you decided to quit playing. Do you remember why?"

Beck looks upset but doesn't answer. "Beck?"

"I didn't want to see his face."

"Dan."

"I didn't want to be like him. And I was afraid that I'd become him if I played." Beck paused. "In the gym, I felt like he had a piece of me. I never felt like that on the playground."

"Well, I'd say he's taken enough from us. I took the night off to watch my son play again the way that he used to when he loved the game more than anything." Karen sets Beck's laundry down and starts to leave.

"Mom?" Karen pokes her head back in. "Thank you."

"It's hard to fight the things that we're afraid of. Sometimes we just need a little help." Karen leaves and Beck looks back down at the sketches.

_**-Thud Magazine**_

A man is closing up at Thud Magazine when Beck runs over. "Hey! Hold on!" He reaches the man and taps him on the shoulder. "Here, could you take a look at these? You won't be disappointed."

"Sure. Okay." The man takes the sketches and Beck runs off. Casey is working behind the counter when she sees Beck run past. Her lips form a small smile.

_**-Derek's House-**_

Derek's about the leave the house and Dan's following behind him. "It's time to focus now, Derek. Put everything out of you reminds that bothers you." His voice starts to get echo-y. "I don't want you to think about Whitey. I don't want you think about your teammates. Let them think about you, son. The other team's thinking about you and they're scared. I'll see you at the game."

Derek, looking upset, starts to leave.

_**-Gym-**_

The cheerleaders are already warming up when Tori walks in. She sits next to Jade. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show." Jade said.

"It's game night. Where else would I be?"

_**-Locker Room Hallway-**_

In the hallway by the locker room, Dan walks quickly, trying to stop Beck. "Uh, son!" Beck turns around surprised. Dan's surprised too considering he didn't know it was Beck, not Derek.

"Give this to my boy, would you?" Dan hands Beck Derek's gym bag and leaves. Another voice spins Beck around. He looks to see Jake.

"Don't let him take it; your talent." Jake paused. "It's all yours." Jake takes the bag from Beck, saving him the embarrassment. Beck looks back in Dan's direction, upset.

_**-Gym-**_

Karen and George walk into the gym and Karen sees Dan in the audience. Tori and Jade are cheering with excitement.

_**-Thud Magazine-**_

Tori's artwork is being looked at by the Thud Magazine guy.

_**-Gym-**_

The guys are about to file out. "Don't choke." Derek silently tells Beck as he stands next to him. The team runs out and Beck turns to Tori.

"Tori!" He shouts, catching her attentions. She looks at him. "Your art matters. It's what got me here in the first place." As he says that, her lips split into a small smile.

All the team's hands are placed on top of each other as a smiling Whitey looks on. "Let's go, let's go! Ravens on three! One, two, three!"

"Ravens!" The team shouts before spreading out on the court. However, Beck stayed behind. Whitey looked at him.

"You're gonna be okay."

"Yeah, I am." Beck sees Dan in the bleachers. They look at each other and Beck turns around to join his teammates.

_"Do not let your fire go out, spark by the irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists. It is real. It is possible. It is yours." - Lucas Scott_


	3. MESSAGE

ATTENTION READERS! This account will be no more later after my yahoo account was deleted so this story and all my other stories will be continued on my second account, Skyler Samuels.


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